I Disappear
by kingofthenobodies
Summary: Katsura Kotonoha needed to break away from her horrible memories of the past, and find herself a new future. Hinamizawa seemed like the perfect place. Higurashi/School Days crossover. Rated M for eventual violence.
1. New Beginnings

When I sleep,

I dream in memories

of blood and pain.

When I wake,

I look at the world through

a cloud of misery and sorrow.

It's my world.

My life.

This bloody mess of tattered dreams,

it's all I have for my own.

But that's still something.

* * *

Patches of sunlight broke through the treetops, gleaming off of the windows as the car slowly made its way down the winding forest trail. It was a perfect spring afternoon, with a clear blue sky and hardly a cloud to be seen. A soft breeze rustled through the leaves, and the girl in the passenger seat watched as they swayed to and fro in the wind. Her eyes took in every detail, every color and every movement of every leaf on every tree. It was all just so beautiful, and so…breathtaking.

It had been a long winter.

Especially for her.

"We're almost there." The woman in the drivers seat broke the silence. "See over there? You can almost see the town from here."

She looked. Sure enough, within a few moments, the distant town was visible.

"I see it." She softly replied through her smile. "So that's…Hinamizawa."

"Sure enough." The other answered. "I've only ever been out this far once myself. But it's a beautiful place. I'll never understand how it's still so small, you would think a place this pretty would draw people in from every direction." The woman looked towards her passenger. "Are you sure you want to stay in a place so small? Nobody will know you."

"No…" the girl answered. "It's…I think it's perfect."

"Suit yourself." Was the response as the car turned the next corner of the dirt road. The town was much closer now, and the girl could almost count the number of buildings. She was beginning to get excited now, and just a little bit nervous as she watched the people walking around, and going about their daily lives. The woman was right, nobody knew who she was here…but that was exactly what she wanted. She could make new friends, and she just knew that this place would make the perfect home.

Finally, the car pulled up to the edge of the town and rolled to a stop.

"There's only one hotel in town," The woman began. "And it's not too far from here. Just up this street, you can't miss it. I'm sure they'll give you a room until you can find a place to stay."

"Thank you very much miss." The girl replied in her delicate voice. "You've been a big help." She reached into her purse.

"You don't have to-"

"I want you to take it." The girl interrupted. "It's a long drive to get out here, so this should make it worth your time." She held out a handful of bills, which the woman slowly accepted.

The girl slowly opened the car door, and stepped out. The cool spring air felt wonderful across her face, and she took in a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment. She turned back to the driver.

"Thank you again." She said with a sweet smile, bowing to the driver. The woman gave her a smile and bowed her head in reply, and the girl gently closed the door, pausing to wave goodbye as the car turned and slowly made its way back up the road.

She stood there for a few moments, watching as the car wound along the road and vanished from her sight. The trees were truly beautiful here, she thought. The forest went on for miles in every direction, and this town was virtually untouched by the outside world. A content smile slowly worked its way across her face. It really was perfect.

Finally, she reached down to pick up her small backpack, slinging it over her shoulders as she turned to face the town. She took a deep breath, and started walking. Raising a hand to shield her eyes from the afternoon sun, she took in her surroundings. This town was the complete opposite of the city she had known her whole life. She had grown used to tall buildings and sprawling streets, bustling with crowds of hurried people. But this place…it was as if the whole town was at peace. The tallest buildings were only two stories high, and even then there were very few of those. There were no car horns, no people yelling, no lingering smells of fumes and cigarette smoke.

It all just felt so peaceful.

As she walked along the town's main street, she could see people watching her pass. They probably didn't get strangers here very often, so she really couldn't blame them. Plus, she made for an unusual sight in the first place; her thrown-together outfit, her messy hair and her barely intact backpack would have warranted a few strange looks even in the big city.

But right now, that didn't bother her. She just wanted to try her best to get settled in, and then she could worry about finding some clothes that actually fit right, and a backpack that wasn't falling apart at the seams. Lodging was the first order of business. That, and a decent bed.

"Good morning." She said, bowing her head politely as an elderly couple walked past her. They looked at her strangely, but returned the greeting.

She smiled. _I already like it here…_she thought. Sure, the people weren't used to her yet, but she had a feeling that soon enough she would be making plenty of new friends here.

In no time at all, she was at the hotel. Was the main street really that short? She turned and looked. Yes, it really was. But then, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. She shrugged her shoulders, turning back to the hotel and easing the door open before stepping inside.

A bell rang as she entered, and within a few moments a very surprised looking man walked up to the front desk.

"Good morning miss!" He said enthusiastically. "What can I do for you?"

"If it's alright," the girl began. "I'd like a room please. I don't know how long I'll be staying, but I promise I can pay for it."

"Not a problem!" The man replied with a grin. "I don't think I've seen you around here before. You're new to Hinamizawa?"

She nodded. "I just need a room until I can find something more permanent."

"Oh, so you'll be living here then?" The man asked. "Well, you're the first new arrival we've had for quite some time! You know, I don't think we've even had a guest at this hotel in at least two years…but don't worry! We always take care of the rooms here, they're the cleanest you'll ever find! I'm sorry, I'm rambling…" He shook his head apologetically and smiled at her. "So where are you from, miss?"

"…Around." She answered with a small smile of her own. "But I've never lived in a town this small before…"

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that. These people are some of the best you'll ever find. Why, I remember when I first came here…Oh. Sorry, there I go again." The man laughed. "Anyway, I'm sure you'll love it here. Now then, let me show you to your room, miss…?"

The girl hesitated for just a second before answering. "Kotonoha…Itou Kotonoha."

* * *

Well, somebody had to do it. Higurashi and School Days get compared so often, I figured they would compliment each other nicely. This is actually my first crossover fanfic, but I promise to stick as close to the two worlds as I possibly can. There's only one detail that's off. School Days seems to be in modern times, while Higurashi takes place in the 80s. So, for this excercise, assume that School Days took place in the 80s. I don't think it's too far-fetched, seeing as School Days never gave us an exact date.

For those of you wondering, yes Kotonoha did give Makoto's last name as her own. Even though the past is far behind her, she still wants to distance herself from her previous life as much as possible.

I've got some good plans for this story, so please let me know what you think of it!


	2. Pesky Memories and New Friends

IMPORTANT NOTE:

This story is a crossover between Higurashi and School Days. If you're unfamiliar with either of those animes, then this story might not make too much sense. The first couple of chapters deal mainly with Kotonoha, one of the main characters of School Days, but soon we'll be getting to the Higurashi characters as well. Hope you enjoy it!

* * *

**Chapter II**

**Pesky Memories and New Friends**

* * *

The door opened with a soft creak and Kotonoha stepped inside, taking in the appearance of the small hotel room. It was very simple in its layout, with a single bed in the center of the room, a small closet, a set of drawers, and a bathroom in the far corner. And that was pretty much it. Aside from the small amount of furniture and a single window across from her, the room was practically empty.

But then, she thought, she didn't intend to stay very long anyway. As long as there was a place to sleep, the room suited her needs just fine.

She couldn't help but notice that the room was a tad musty, though. Crossing to the other side and tossing her backpack onto the small bed, she took a hold of the curtains and swiftly pulled them back from the windowpane, welcoming the sunlight into the room. Kotonoha smiled contentedly as she felt her face being warmed by the rays of fresh sunlight as they streamed in through the glass. Next, she undid the latch that held the lower half in place and yanked the window open.

_There,_ she thought as the breeze began to air out the room. _That's much better._

Turning back to her room, she let out a satisfied sigh. The room was no longer quite as dreary as before. The sunlight had brightened everything considerably, and the afternoon breeze brought with it the pleasant aromas of springtime. She turned her attention back to her bag, which was still lying in its spot on the bed. It was time for her to unpack.

Humming to herself, she came around to the other side of the bed and unzipped the backpack. She pulled out the first item, a small necklace.

_

* * *

She was eight years old, and her father was tying the necklace around her neck._

"_For my little princess." He said with a wide smile._

"_It's so pretty daddy!" Kotonoha said, the sparkles of the glass reflected in her eyes as she turned it over in her small hands._

* * *

She pulled out the next item, a worn-out storybook.

* * *

"_Tell me another one, onee-chan!!" her little sister begged, looking up at her with a pleading expression._

"_Kokoro, I've read them all to you three times!" Kotonoha smiled, heaving an exaggerated sigh._

"_Pleeeeeeeeease?" Kokoro repeated, giving her best 'puppy dog' eyes._

"_Oh, alright." Kotonoha conceded, flipping open the storybook._

"_Yay!" Kokoro cheered. "Onee-chan, you're the best!"_

* * *

The next item, her old school uniform.

* * *

"_But mom…" she said, her voice faltering as she nervously fiddled with the hem of her skirt. "What if the other kids at school don't…like me?"_

_Today would be her first day of school at the Sakakino academy, and she had spent the last hour making sure that everything was in just the right place. But now, the butterflies were starting to flutter._

"_Oh, Kotonoha…" her mother said, putting a reassuring arm around her daughter. "You're a beautiful girl. I'm sure they'll love you."_

* * *

She reached a hand in to grab the next item, and froze as her fingertips grazed cold steel. Her hand shot out of the bag as if it had just touched a hot iron, and she started breathing heavily. She held her trembling hands to her chest, trying to calm herself as she stared at the bag.

"…it's okay…" she whispered to herself. "It's okay. Be strong…"

She slowly reached a still-shaking hand inside the bag and wrapped her fingers around the objects handle, drawing it out. The blade of the dozuki cast a bright reflection across her face as its polished steel was exposed to the sun.

* * *

"_Makoto…Makoto…"_

_Tears streamed down her face as she looked down at Itou Makoto's dead body. The blood hadn't even had time to fully dry on the floor, and there was already a red stain crawling up the hem of her skirt. She held the dozuki in her trembling hands, and placed it above Makoto's neck._

"_They'll never take you away from me…"_

_She made the first delicate incision, more tears flowing down as what little blood was left in Makoto's body came rushing out through the fresh opening in his throat. She moved her hands mechanically back and forth, back and forth, never once taking her eyes away from Makoto's as she felt her blade beginning to saw through bone…_

* * *

"Stop it, stop it…" She pressed her hand tightly up against her forehead, trying to force the images out.

_

* * *

She thrust her blade forward with all of her strength, ramming it up into Saionji Sekai's throat. A gurgling sound came from Sekai's mouth as she choked on the blade and her own blood, which was now splattered all over Kotonoha's face. Sekai's eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed onto the concrete of the school buildings roof, twitching feebly as she bled out._

_Kotonoha knelt down beside her, unbuttoning Sekai's shirt and noticing out of the corner of her eye that she was still alive. She made eye contact with Sekai, watching the other's eyes widen in horror and pain as she drove her blade into the girls stomach. She moved her hands in a sawing motion, making sure not to drive her dozuki too deep so that she could keep Sekai alive as long as possible. _

_Sekai's body thrashed underneath her, trying in vain to get away; her attempted screams never made it past her severed vocal cords, and the only sound she could make was a horrible choking noise, coughing up blood as Kotonoha's blade sawed its way down her abdomen. _

_Finally, her eyes glazed over and her head fell back onto the concrete as her last quavering breath escaped her lips. _

* * *

"No, no, NO!" She yelled, thrusting the knife back into the bag and flinging it across the room. She fell to her knees, clutching at her chest and breathing heavily.

"Miss?" She jumped as she heard the hotel owner's voice. "Are you alright in there?"

"F-fine!" She called, trying to bring her voice back under control. "Everything's alright! I just dropped something!"

She listened intently as his footsteps faded down the length of the hallway and finally silenced. Taking a deep breath, she took a moment to compose herself before looking back in the direction of the discarded bag. She finally pulled herself to her feet, and slowly made her way to the other side of the room, where her bag lay.

She had to pause and take another deep breath before reaching down to pick it up, and another as she laid it out on the bed and pulled the knife back out. She gazed into the blade, watching her reflection squirm within the confines of the steel as she turned it to and fro in the sunlight.

"It's okay…" she repeated the mantra over and over to herself, keeping her unpleasant memories in check and bringing her breathing back into a gentle rhythm. She was in control. She could do this. A knife is just a knife, after all.

She closed her eyes and took a calm breath. When she opened them she was back to normal once again and her memories were at the back of her mind, where they belonged.

A soft breeze blew in through the open window, rustling her hair and bringing her mind back to where she was.

"That's right…" She said to herself. "I'm in Hinamizawa now. I don't need to think about any of that any more." She smiled, thinking once more of how beautiful this place was. It would be so easy to start over in a place like this, and she would never have to relive that horrible night again.

She walked back to the window and took another look outside. _I don't know what I'm still doing in here…_she thought to herself. _I should be out there, getting to know the town. And getting some new clothes…_she added, taking a look at the sorry state her current outfit was in. On her journey down, she had devoted absolutely none of her money to clothing, choosing to wear whatever she could find and use her money on the things that mattered, like securing a ride down to Hinamizawa in the first place. And now, her outfit was reaping the benefits; her blue top was hideously faded, her jeans had so many holes in them that she had to wear a skirt over them to keep her appearance 'decent', and her shoes were each a different color, neither of which matched her socks. Yes, it was definitely time for a wardrobe update.

"Well, the sooner the better." She said, making sure she had the room key with her before heading for the door.

As she passed the front desk in the lobby, she waved to the manager and said, "I'm going out to get familiar with the town, I should be back by evening."

"Alright! Take care, Miss Itou!" he called out in reply.

Miss Itou. She was going to have to get used to that.

Deciding not to dwell on the matter any more, she turned and was out the door. It really was a perfect afternoon, with the sun shining down and a cool breeze blowing steadily. She could get used to this. _In fact,_ she decided,_ I think I'm already used to it._ It was hard not to enjoy the picturesque nature of the town, and even harder to think about ever going back to the big city.

She walked down the main street, surveying the town's small collection of shops. There was a grocery store practically right next to the hotel, a few small restaurants in the general area, and she thought she could see a clothing store further down the street. As she started walking she thought about how strange it was not to see any of the big chain restaurants or department stores. Not that it was a bad thing, it was just a drastic change from the city she was used to.

Kotonoha continued in the direction of the store, crossing to the other side of the street as she did so. That was another huge difference, there was absolutely no traffic here! Not on the main street, at least. Everybody she saw was simply walking on foot, and taking their time to get where they needed to. She still got a few strange looks from passerby, but it didn't really bother her. She'd be looking more…normal in a little bit.

As she passed the entrance to the grocery store she looked across the street for a moment, and when she turned back around…

"**OOF!"**

She ran flat into another person who was exiting the store, and a couple bags of groceries emptied their contents all over the street.

"Oh!" she said, her face getting flustered as she began to profusely apologize, "I-I'm so sorry, I didn't even see you there! I'm really sorry!"

"It's alright, I wasn't paying much attention either." Her victim confessed, and Kotonoha took the opportunity to take in the others appearance as she reached down and started helping her with the groceries she had spilled. It was girl about her age, in one of the most interesting outfits Kotonoha had ever seen. She wore a long, white dress, which was parted up the middle so it flowed outward like a cape of some kind, and a funny white hat was nestled on top of her red hair. In the middle of her chest was an enormous purple bow, which Kotonoha found to be immensely distracting as she tried to repack the grocery bags.

"I'm really sorry again…" She began. "I've only just arrived here, and I'm not too familiar with things yet."

"Hm?" the other girl said, looking up at her with newfound curiosity. "You're new here, you said? When did you…oh…" her eyes widened. "Your outfit…"

Kotonoha became extremely self-conscious, looking down at her worn-out clothing. "Wh-what about it?"

"It's so…" the girl looked as if she was in some kind of daze. "So CUTE!!!!!"

"Wha-?" Was all Kotonoha had time to say before the other girl practically jumped on her, examining every inch of her thrown-together outfit.

"Your clothes are just adorable!" She was saying, her voice getting increasingly higher, and she ignored Kotonoha's embarrassed protests as she continued to excitedly poke at her clothes. "I just want to take you back home with me you look so cute in them!"

All of this attention was beginning to make Kotonoha feel extremely awkward, and she was about to try and force the girl off of her when she heard another voice.

"RENA! What the hell are you doing?!" Her assailant was pulled off of her by another girl, this one wearing a yellow shirt along with a jacket tied around her waist, and green hair that was even longer than Kotonoha's.

"I can't leave you alone for five seconds, can I?" The newcomer smiled, before turning to Kotonoha. "Sorry about that." She said, "Rena here gets a little excited when she sees something she thinks is 'cute'. But she's harmless, I promise!"

The girl let go of Rena, who was turning red in the face after recovering from her outburst, and waved at Kotonoha. "I'm Mion, Sonozaki Mion. What's your name?"

"Um, I'm Kotonoha." She replied, nervously returning the gesture. "I-Itou Kotonoha."

"I don't think I've seen you before." Mion continued, taking a step closer and looking Kotonoha over with curiosity. "You just get here?"

"Uh, yes. Just this afternoon, actually."

"So what brings you out this far?" Mion asked, finally stepping back and placing her hands on her hips. "We don't get too many strangers in Hinamizawa."

"I just…just wanted to move somewhere quiet."

"Hmm." Mion looked almost suspicious as she regarded Kotonoha, but then the look dissolved as she seemed to make up her mind, and she gave her another smile. "I think you'll fit in alright. We're a tight-knit bunch here, but it's a friendly place!"

Kotonoha breathed a sigh of relief. She had been afraid that Mion wouldn't like her.

"Well there's only one school in Hinamizawa," Mion continued. "so we'll be in the same class. What year are you, anyway?"

"Oh, um, I'm a sophomore." She replied. One school? So all the grades would be in the same class? That would also take some getting used to… "But it's the middle of the year and I haven't even registered yet…"

"Oh, that's easy!" Mion replied, waving her hand in the air. "Chie-Sensei will set you up real quick! She should still be in her office!"

"What, you mean right now?" Kotonoha asked, but never received an answer as Mion grabbed her hand and started in what she assumed was the direction of the school. Rena followed closely behind, occasionally prodding at Kotonoha's worn-out backpack and muttering "cuuute".

"You'll be in school by tomorrow!" Said Mion, dragging the two of them behind her.

_A new school…_Kotonoha thought._ Things have changed so much. But then…I guess that's a good thing?_

Looking over Mion's shoulder, she could see what had to be the school building. It was small, but it looked pleasant. Much more pleasant than Sakakino, anyway.

_Yes…I think it will be a very good thing. Everything will be better here…_

She felt a warm smile spread across her face, and she fell into step behind Mion as they approached her new school.

* * *

**End Chapter**

* * *

Wow, those flashbacks got surprisingly violent. I wasn't originally going to have them reach that level of violence, but I felt compelled to write all of that down.

Anyway, here we have chapter 2, and we're finally meeting some of the Higurashi characters. Remember, this is still late April/early May, so Keiichi hasn't shown up yet, and the eternal June hasn't started either. Let me know what you think of this chapter!


End file.
